The chief counsel at California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing is stepping down from the agency’s lawsuit against video game giant
Janette Wipper, who was nominated to the agency by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. (D), sued Activision in July, alleging a “frat boy” culture of sexual harassment and discrimination against female employees.
The agency’s lawsuit followed a two-year investigation into Activision, and included claims of gender discrimination regarding pay, promotion, and termination policies, among other violations of state law.
In March, Activision settled a similar set of claims filed under federal law by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, after the judge in that case rejected DFEH’s attempts to block the settlement.
Wipper, who has led the state agency’s legal strategy since 2018, and assistant chief counsel Melanie Proctor will no longer be involved in the DFEH’s case against Activision, which is currently pending in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to the notice of withdrawal.
Both attorneys previously led the agency’s lawsuit against another California video game maker,
Prior to her appointment to DFEH, Wipper served as the head of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ Pacific region, based in San Francisco.
Under her leadership, the region took on a reputation for doggedly pursuing audits of federal contractor facilities, and oversaw the initiation of an audit of
The case is DFEH v. Activision Blizzard Inc., Cal. Super. Ct., No. 21stcv26571, 4/5/22.
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